We’re Now a Full Distributor of Clamcleat® Products
We’re excited to share that Allen is now a full distributor of the complete Clamcleat® product range.
We’ve proudly stocked a selection of Clamcleat products for many years, but following the unfortunate closure of one of their distributors, we were offered the opportunity to take on the full range. It’s a natural next step in our long-standing relationship with Clamcleat and we’re pleased to be strengthening our partnership with another great British brand.
Allen Brothers is excited to announce our participation in METSTRADE 2024, the premier trade show for marine equipment, materials, and systems, from 19th to 21st November at the RAI Amsterdam. As always, this event is a fantastic opportunity to discover the latest innovations in the marine industry, and we are eager to showcase our newest product developments to our customers and partners.
We invite you to visit us in Hall 1, Stand 516, where we will present an exciting range of new and existing products designed to enhance sailboat performance. Among the highlights will be:
The latest update to our product catalogue, version 4.1 is now available. This latest edition includes a wide range of new products, more accurate and detailed information, and a streamlined navigation system, ensuring a seamless experience for our customers.
Expanded Product Range: Discover the latest additions to our collection (go to the bottom of this post to see the latest additions), featuring innovative designs and cutting-edge technology to meet the evolving needs of the marine industry.
Enhanced Accuracy: Benefit from updated and precise product specifications, ensuring you have the most reliable information for your purchasing decisions.
Improved Navigation: Improved layout and product placement for intuitive browsing, allowing you to find products quickly and effortlessly.
“We are committed to providing our customers with the best products and the most user-friendly experience possible,” said Liz Adams, Managing Director of Allen Brothers. “Our new catalogue reflects our dedication to quality and customer satisfaction, with enhancements that make it clearer to find product information.”
We at Allen are thrilled to unveil our latest development in sailing hardware: the Vang King. As a leading manufacturing company specialising in high-performance hardware for racing dinghies and keelboats, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation to enhance the sailing experience.
The Vang King is not just a gas strut; it’s a game-changer in vang control systems for keelboats up to 26ft. Designed to serve as a boom support system, the Vang King seamlessly integrates with a purchase system to deliver unmatched control of your mainsail vang settings.
In light winds, the Vang King will hold the boom up which will reduce the unwanted weight on the mainsail leech and thus result in a better sail shape and more speed. Whether you’re cruising or racing, the Vang King ensures optimal performance in every sailing condition.
Through deck bushes, also known as fairleads, have been created to protect surfaces from a rubbing rope or wire. Aluminium versions also allow you to also add a touch of personalisation to your boat, with a choice of six colours.
It’s fairly common on modern boats to see rope passing through a surface. Such as the deck, thwart or any other part of the hull. This rigging style ensures the rope takes the shortest path, meaning fewer turning points, less friction and less weight.
However, just drilling a hole through a fibreglass or carbon surface and running rope through it isn’t ideal. Over time the rope will slowly cut its way through the surface – weakening the rope and making a mess of your boat.
So, fitting a through deck bush into the hole will help guide the rope through the surface whilst offering protection to the material the rope or wire is passing through.
What a fantastic 10 days we had at Boot Dusseldorf showcasing a wide variety of our new and existing products.
If you didn’t manage to make then worry not, in the interview below Mark Jardine, from Yachts and Yachting Online, talks to our Head of Marketing, Ben Harden, about some of the new product launches.
New 20mm Ti3 On Block
The range of soft attachment blocks is growing with the release of the new 20mm Ti3 block.
The A2020Ti3 has been developed by the Allen design team for the paragliding and kiting industries but the team believe it will also trickle down into the marine sector.
Graham Adams, Head of International Business Development, commented “The paragliding industry required a high performance, small and reliable soft attachment block. Unfortunately, our current 20mm Tii block didn’t cut it for them as they required something that was more suitable for attaching with webbing strap. So, we developed the A2020Ti3 to suit their needs. However, when testing the Ti3 we quickly realised the design was so much easier to splice and thread rope around.” (more…)
High Load Range Expands
The range of High Load Blocks from Allen is expanding with additions such as doubles, triples and Tii-On’s now available.
As technology and design have evolved over the past few years it has led to the loads on sailboats increasing and rope diameters decreasing. These changes denote smaller but stronger blocks are required. To meet the needs of our ever-evolving sport Allen has broadened its range of High Load Blocks to facilitate these changes.
Allen High Load Blocks fit between the standard dynamic range and the XHL range. The blocks feature a stainless-steel sheave which runs on a double race of stainless-steel ball bearings. By utilising a stainless-steel sheave with a slight V shape profile, the Allen High Load range offers the ability to be paired with both wire and Dyneema®. This design also reduces deformation of the sheave under high static loads. These combinations result in less friction, higher working loads, better performance and durability over the acetal sheave Dynamic Block range.
Tii blocks are designed for soft attachment applications. Perfect for use in systems where weight saving is a necessity or there is no requirement for a metal shackle. More info about the Tii-On Range.
For reducing friction in any system or using in a highly static loaded application which still needs to be dynamic, such as a rig tension system.
Working Load – 400Kg / 650Kg
Breaking Load – 650Kg / 1750Kg
A2020HL-4036 – 20mm High Load Single with Offset Lacing Eye.
Can be used to attach an A2020HL directly to surface whilst eliminating the need for a shackle.
Working Load – 250Kg
Breaking Load – 540Kg
Working Load – The load at which a component part may fail and cause a reduction in performance.
Breaking Load – The load point at which a major failure is likely to occur.
For further information about the range please get in touch with the Allen sales team.
New Allen Products at The RYA Dinghy Show
There are new product launches, personal appearances by Team Allen sailors and on-stand promotions for visitors to the Allen stand, C82 at this year’s RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show on March 3-4 at Alexandria Palace, London.
At 10:30am on the Class Association Stage in the Great Hall, the results of the 2017 Allen Performance Challenge will be announced as part of the presentation of the GJW Direct Winter Series and a new championship, the Allen Endurance Series will be announced.
At 3:00pm on Saturday 3rd, on the Allen Stand C82 in the Main Hall, Team Allen sailors who tested the pre-production prototype of the new A2345 and A2360 Autoratchet blocks will be describing how they perform. There will be three other products launched, the new A2020XHL and A2040XHL additions to the highly successful Allen eXtreme High Load (XHL) family and the new A5266 angled mainsheet jammer.
The new A5266 Mainsheet Jammer from Allen Brothers is an ingeniously simple solution to a common sailing problem. Most people who have sailed a dinghy with a centre mounted mainsheet system will have come across the age old issue of the mainsheet jammer not rotating to the correct orientation after a tack or gybe therefore causing the mainsheet to get wrapped or twisted. This hardware malfunction slows the manoeuvre and can lead to a lost race or, in rough conditions, a capsize.
Standard mainsheet jammer systems usually have the block centrally located above the swivel meaning there is no turning force to swivel the block and jammer to the correct angle. By moving the block outward from the swivel and angling it away from the cleat, the new A5266 mainsheet system creates turning force on the block and jammer meaning the cleat will always be forced to point away from the boom and towards the helm. This prevents the sheet from wrapping round the block and gives extra control for fast, smooth tacks and gybes.
“It is one of those ideas which is so simple you wonder why no-one else thought of it”, explains Liz Adams, Managing Director of Allen Brothers. “Our design team has been busy this year with a range of new products coming off the drawing board and into production.”
The Essex, UK based manufacturer will also be launching its eagerly awaited new auto ratchet blocks, the A2345 and A2360. Allen has redesigned the auto ratchet and the new range will be the first to use the “X2” twin locking pawls, the British company claims “it will combine outstanding holding power in strong wind conditions with exceptional light airs performance.”
The performance sailing hardware manufacturer’s design team has been working on the project for over a year and the prototypes have been tested by Team Allen sailors. In fact the prototype 45mm auto ratchet already has several world class wins to its credit.
Visitors to the Allen stand, C82 can enter a quiz to win a pair of Allen branded sunglasses. By simply completing the quiz, based on information in the Allen Performance Sailing Magazine inserted in the free show guide, each completed entry gets a cool pair of shades.
To find out more, you can follow Allen Brothers on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/allen sailing/ or you can go to the website www.allenbrothers.co.uk/dinghyshow
Aaron Evans Joins Team Allen
I am a competitive Topper sailor and now a part of Team Allen. I have been racing on the national circuit for two years and have been selected to join RYA Topper National Junior Squad.
My home club is Silver Wing Sailing Club based near Heathrow and I also train at Queen Mary Sailing Club. My recent achievements include: coming 5th at Poole National Series 1; winning the South East Topper Zone Champs and winning both the Queen Mary Sailing Club and Bosham Sailing Club Topper Open events.
Allen Brothers generously support me with high quality racing equipment for my Topper so I can rig my boat effectively with the knowledge that the products have been rigorously tested by some of the best sailors in the world.
Last weekend I trained with national squad at Rutland Sailing Club. There was a good breeze and we sailed both days with the aim of improving tactics and strategy.
My ambitions for the coming year include achieving a top ten place in the upcoming Topper National events. I hope that I can win some of the regional Topper Traveller events but there are some very good sailors in the region. I will be attending the Topper Worlds, to be held in China, which will be a fantastic sailing opportunity and even better if I get a good placing. Here’s hoping that I will get some good results in 2018.
